Press Release: IGA Honors Retailer Awards of Excellence Winner

IGA Honors Retailer Awards of Excellence Winners 

Grocer Robert Rybick Named IGA International Retailer of the Year

(Chicago, IL) The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) today announced Bob Rybick, owner of Geissler’s Supermarket IGA in Somers, Connecticut, has been named IGA International Retailer of the Year. 

The awards process began in the fall of 2019 when IGA USA Licensed Distribution Companies (LDCs) were each asked to submit a candidate for IGA USA International Retailer of the Year. The planned Awards of Excellence Ceremony—originally scheduled for March 2020—was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled event took place on September 20 at the IGA Awards Gala at the Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, held during the National Grocers Association’s annual event, The NGA Show. At that event, five best-in-class IGA retailers were named IGA USA Retailers of the Year, and Rybick was awarded IGA’s top global honor of IGA International Retailer of the Year

IGA International Retailer of the Year

Bob Rybick
Geissler’s Supermarket IGA
Somers, CT
Serviced by: Bozzuto’s Inc. 

IGA USA Retailer of the Year 

Don and Judy Gabriele
Nemenz IGA
Struthers, Ohio
Serviced by: Laurel Grocery Co.

IGA USA Retailer of the Year 

Ron Martin
Grant’s IGA Supermarkets
Bluewell, WV
Serviced by: Merchants Distributors, LLC.

IGA USA Retailer of the Year 

Tyler Myers
North Albany IGA
Albany, OR
Serviced by: UNFI - Centralia

IGA USA Retailer of the Year 

Chang So
Hollister Super IGA
Hollister, CA
Serviced by: C & S Wholesale Grocery, Inc. 

“When we first visited their stores nominated for IGA Retailer of the Year back in December of 2019, no one could have predicted the challenges quickly coming our way,” IGA CEO John Ross said. “Throughout it all, our IGA Retailers of the Year have continued to shine, demonstrating remarkable flexibility, resilience, and innovation. From creative sourcing solutions highlighting their local roots to going beyond what was required of them to keep their customers, communities, and team members safe, we are so proud of this diverse and accomplished group of retailers—and none more so than IGA International Retailer of the Year Bob Rybick. Bob and his team have built a lasting legacy of local, family ownership and community commitment through their work at Geissler’s Supermarkets IGA, leading the way with the intimate, intensely local experiences shoppers want,” IGA CEO John Ross said.

“It’s an honor to have been named IGA’s International Retailer of the Year,” Rybick said. “This award belongs to our entire Geissler’s team throughout our stores, as their dedication to our customers and communities is unparalleled and makes Geissler’s what we are today—an independent who can not only compete with chain grocery stores, but best them in our commitment to providing a community-focused shopping experience. We’re proud of the relationships we've developed with local farmers and producers and our ability to use those partnerships to deliver our shoppers the freshest local produce, meat, and products available.”

Nearly a century after the first Geissler’s store opened in 1923, fourth generation Geissler's Supermarkets President Bob Rybick is always looking for new ways to make his seven family-owned grocery stores stand out as shoppers’ first choice for convenient, fresh food with a local focus. 

Over the course of the last several years, Rybick enhanced the local identity of the Somers store, working to grow relationships with local farmers and producers, and installing signage and new decor elements to highlight the products they create. Today, the store serves up hundreds of local items to its shoppers, and Rybick can be seen promoting those products in the store’s weekly digital ad and on the “Geissler’s Growers” page of geisslers.com. 

Watch Rybick accept the awards here and tour his store with IGA CEO John Ross here. 

About IGA (www.iga.com)

IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $40 billion per year. The Alliance includes nearly 6,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by dozens of distribution centers and major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA has stores in 43 of the United States and more than 30 countries, commonwealths and territories. For more information about IGA, visit the IGA consumer website at www.iga.com, or the business site at www.becomeiga.com.

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For more information, contact: 

Ashley Page

apage@igianc.com

(773) 742-7417

Photos available upon request.